Seems like other photos in the news lately...but no raid here!

Fires are a ways off but it is unsettling none the less...Ash and smoke make it dirty and tough to breathe, the one rain we had gotten last week, filled the cistern for the horses with about 3" of ash with the water...water is precious to us and having it be wasted stinks!

Random pics

My colorful Puppy...










and check out that wide load!


















THE CARNAGE OF KILLAH BEAN!!!

Ag Fair

The first pic is the Champion class-the beast on the left won Grand. The other three were from his class.

AG FAIR 2011- FIRST PLACE!

He is in a growth spurt and looked alil thin but he is soooo handsome. AND he was a total ham, loved all the attention in his stall and licked kids and begged for treats. The plan will be to show him for the next few years, hopefully take Grand Champion Bull at some point...

Funniest thing at the Ag Fair was my sliding off the synthetic saddle in the barrel race...IT WAS SOO FUNNY! I was laughing before I hit the ground. 47 yrs of showing and I had never come off in an arena...Trying to be really light handed as he was in a old style curb and is usually in a lil snaffle, owner p.od at his cowboys, but I thought it would be ok...I now know if I am in a saddle to big for me, and its synthetic, I NEED THE HORN! Im not even 100% sure what happened. I know he popped up as I had just sat and put weight to the outside, went to turn and just kept going. LORD WHAT A HOOT! I bounced back up, got on and re turned the 2nd barrel then had a great third barrel. Must say not the way I had hoped to start out my barrel career in Belize, but hey it can only get better now!

JR...aka #84

My AWESOME BABY BOY!!! Im sneaking him his favorite treat...knick named by locals "Nut butt plug" had my pockets stuffed with him in case he got anxious...Oh yeah and had forgotten my clean show jeans to change into so ran to the first tent that had jeans-$5, squashed myself into them, and they are now my lil gal friends Hannahs, but at least they were clean!

TCER

It rained, it rained alot! But the race was great anyway and horses cooled down faster with the rains help.

The last of our Triple Crown Endurance Races was very exciting with finishes for first and second and third and fourth down to the nose at a full out gallop! Gabe Baron on Lil Bit, ended up taking his sweep of three by a nose at the finish over Davina Bedran as she closed in on Conquistador, one more stride and I think she would have gotten him.

The two geldings are half brothers, same stud, two different mares and are TOTALLY different, Lil Bit is this tough, cocky, 14.3 hand lil dark chocolate half arab and Conquistador is this regal, big chestnut who has an air about him of superiority. Any one wanting a strong heart for endurance racing needs to talk to Abdala Bedran about his arabian stallion. Both of these gelding come in strong and drop to the low parameters quicker then anyone elses horses ever dreamed of. And, Lil Bit is for sale as Gabe will be in Canada for college this fall.

The Belize Equestrian Academy arena is designed so well, that all though we had standing water while the rain was falling, it cleared and dried up within about an hour for the remaining speed classes of the open show. Now we will add more sand to it and have a great facility to run barrels and poles in on a routine basis. I think the speed show is what the audience loves the best. We try to make it a bit of a learning experience as well. I do the announcing and explain things as we run the classes. Hopefully our clinic in May will be a big success and get even more folks into running barrels...Do I see NBHA on the horizon? HMMMmmmm!

FINAL T.C.E.R. IT WAS A SOGGY DAY! BUT A GREAT ONE!

What a great end to the TCER! Really thrilling finishes and great competitors. We had three new riders, and they did a great job. Other than the riders, helpers and I got pretty soggy, the weather was doable as the temps were mild.

I want to thank Maruja Vargus for her help at all the events as my time/pulse keeper. The guys Juan and Carlos and Chrissy from Cheers for being cool down crews and Cynthia Reece from Olde Mill for her photos and entry help. Miss Joan, Lisa and Ziri, Nolberto and all the Olde Mill guys, THANKS A BUNCH!!!

And of course Chuck, who takes being called Chuck Olson with a laugh, for all of the support and help and running and being the best "gopher" any one could have. Love ya honey and thanks a million.

Plans for the next Triple Crown are in the works and we hope to have our sponsors back. Uckele from the U.S. was awesome and supported us with product. It was great for me to beable to introduce a company I have believed in for over 20 years to a new group of horsemen. Belize Natural Energy and Reimers Feed Mill of Spanish Lookout were a big help in making this event so special as well. Thanks to all of our sponsors, hope you enjoyed the races!